Standing against injustice

In the Torah reading this week, Abraham has the audacity to speak out against even God when he sees injustice about to be committed in the world. In words that ring in our ears, he asks, “Should not the Judge of all the earth act justly?!” (Genesis 18:25). If Abraham can speak up in the face of God, we surely can have the courage to speak against injustice when we see it in our world. In this week, when we have heard of proposals by our government to erase trans and gender non-conforming people from official records and to deny them protection from discrimination, harassment, and attack, it is time for us to stand up and to speak out. Trans Jews are Jews, gender queer people are people, and we all deserve dignity, respect, and the protection we need to live our lives as our true selves, precious creations of the same God. An attack on the humanity of some of us is an attack on us all. We must stand together and declare, with the courage of Abraham: we will not be erased.